I shoved down the tears. “Wait. You’re only here to see Celia? You mean you weren’t going to tell me you were leaving tomorrow?” One tear slipped out, then another as my stomach churned.
He glanced around, his blue eyes filling with frustration. “Quinn, I was going to call you.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
“I don’t know. But if you didn’t get drunk, I would’ve told you about camp.”
“So now it’s my fault?” I asked in a harsh tone even though I was ready to beg him to stay.
He gave me a sad, or maybe pitying, grin. “We’ll talk soon. Give my best to Celia.” He spun on his heel.
I rushed up and latched on to his arm. “Wait.”
He narrowed his big blue eyes. “I have to go, Quinn.” There was no emotion in his tone at all.
My heart disintegrated. “Are you breaking up with me?”
“I’m going to basketball camp, nothing more. But I don’t like you drinking. It’s not something I’m going to deal with.” Then he strutted out.
I was left with a crushed soul and a bleeding heart. I wasn’t sure our relationship would ever be the same.
I wiped the sweat from my brow with my jersey. Between running suicides and the summer sun beating down on the outdoor court, all twelve of us were dying. The last two weeks had been brutal on my body and on my mind. I couldn’t shake the thought that Quinn and I had had our first fight.
I was mad at her for getting drunk. I was mad at myself for walking away. I should’ve stayed and told her about camp, but the way she’d acted had given me the impression that no matter what I said, she would only see that I was leaving her. She knew how important basketball was to me.
“Take a break and hydrate,” Coach Green yelled. “Maxwell, can I see you for a minute?” He waved his fat hand at me.
Noah, my roomie at camp, and a hell of a shooting guard, widened his gray eyes as though he knew something I didn’t.
I couldn’t imagine that I was in trouble. I’d followed the rules and busted my butt in workouts, training, and mock games. I even obeyed curfew when Noah didn’t. He’d tried to get me to sneak out with him, but I wasn’t about to mess up my training.
I jogged up to Coach.
He patted the spot on the bench next to him. “Sit.”
I’d learned my first week at camp that Coach Green was the sports director at Greenridge Academy, the same school Mom was looking into for Jasper and Marcus, the same school she was trying to convince me to consider.
At first, I’d thought Mom and Coach Dean were in cahoots when it came to picking this camp, which was only a town over from Greenridge Academy. As it turned out, though, Coach Dean was the one who’d recommended the camp.
“If you want to get back into fighting form, then spend a month at basketball camp,” Coach Dean had said. “I know Coach Green well, and he will whip you into shape.”
Coach Dean hadn’t lied either. Coach Green was like a military commander. We were up at dawn, running and working out before we had breakfast. Then we had two hours of classes on the game of basketball and plays. After that, it was off to practice on the court.
I eased down on the wood bench as I watched the guys fan out to the coolers.
Coach chugged from a water bottle then set it down. “I want to discuss something with you.” He sounded like he was about to break bad news to me.
My pulse ticked up a notch. Maybe I was a terrible ball player. Maybe I didn’t stand a chance of playing for a Division I school.
I started moving my foot, causing my knee to bounce up and down. “Just give it to me straight.” I didn’t like when anyone beat around the bush.
“I would like for you to consider attending Greenridge Academy for your senior year as starting shooting guard. I’ve talked to Coach Dean about this.”
I whipped my sweaty head at him, probably causing my brain to suffer from whiplash. “You have? He’s okay with me leaving?” A pang of hurt spread throughout my chest. Coach Dean had said he had big plans for me and the team. He and I had talked about the upcoming season, practices, the captain’s role, the new guys on the team, and even about state championships.
Coach Green lifted up his ball cap, swiped a hand over his short salt-and-pepper hair, and then returned the cap to his head. “I know this sounds like it’s terrible news, but I struggled with my decision. Coach Dean and I are good friends. The last thing I want to do is steal his players. But he assures me he’s fine with me making the offer. He wants to give you the best opportunities. Look, Maiken, I know you had a terrible season last year. Coach Dean tells me you’ve been working your tail off. And I see it here. I’m highly impressed with your dedication and work ethic. You have great potential to play for the NBA one day.”
His compliment dulled the pang in my chest and validated all the long workouts, the endless hours of shooting ball, and the days of pushing myself to the brink of pain even when I knew I should’ve taken breaks.
Sighing, I glanced up at the clear blue sky, saying a prayer to Dad, who I hoped was watching over me. I longed to have him there, talking to me, giving me advice, helping me make the hard decisions, deal with girls, everything. Sadly, he wasn’t.
I swallowed down the emotions clogging my throat. I wasn’t there to get teary-eyed. I was a young man who knew what he wanted, at least in the next phase of his life after high school.
“I know this is sudden,” Coach Green said. “Just think about it. Talk to Coach Dean. I’ll show you around the school this weekend as well. We’re playing a scrimmage with the Greenridge team. Then afterward, you can make your decision. Fair enough?”
That was more than fair. I found the timing suspect, though, since Mom was considering the school. “Coach, have you been talking to my mom?”
Lines dented his high forehead. “Not at all. Should I?”
I chuckled. “Nah. She’s been looking into Greenridge for us this year.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“She feels the school would be good for her five teenagers.”
“I see. Greenridge is a great school and well known for preparing students for college. We have a great ROTC program for those interested in the military, and we have smaller classes than public schools. Every student who attends Greenridge is given a job on campus, from tutoring others, to working in the cafeteria, to leading and managing new students.”
I wasn’t interested in ROTC, although if basketball didn’t pan out, then I’d always thought I would follow in Dad’s footsteps.
“Has your mom visited the school yet?”
“She’s supposed to in the next week or so. I guess my cousin Kross is supposed to accompany her and the family.”
He rose, fingering his whistle. “Kross is a good egg. He did well while at Greenridge.”
I wouldn’t exactly know, although he was a big-time boxer.
“Let’s invite her up this weekend,” Coach said. “I’ll show her around. For now, get something to drink and think about our conversation.”
“Yes, sir. Coach, what about the other guys? I’m sure they would like the same opportunity. Noah in particular.”